A Cardano block is a collection of transactions that are grouped together and verified as a unit. It's similar to a page in a ledger. Each block contains a hash, which is a unique cryptographic code that identifies the block and its contents. Once a block is created, it's added to the blockchain, which is a public, distributed database. This process is known as block production. The creation of new blocks is carried out by staking pools, which are groups of individuals who contribute their ADA to secure the network. Blocks play a crucial role in the Cardano network by recording transactions, ensuring security, and providing a historical record.
Block 5218690 Details
Epoch: 242 Number of transactions in block: 5 slot_no: 19268717 epoch_slot_no: 87917 block_no: 5218513 slot_leader_id: 4575489 size: 2894 time: 2021-01-16 22:10:08 proto_major: 4 proto_minor: 0 hash: \x68f216a5ce87f3606268a2d3112e4bd8a957cf62aa51de3e0a3b094c7babaebcBlock Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1tyn3yxr59rqghey6yr8psxxgnkh9j8um8hngzax2xkxgzyyh5nus6f96u5 op_cert: \x0ec575bffc2907c7fca7ac0ce928eea04952c74a70f8062c1dd5c8e63eb3ed2d op_cert_counter: 2